Raheem Mostert is Ready to Become a Volume Running Back
Prior to the 2019 season, Raheem Mostert had never carried the ball more than 34 times in a single season. It's safe to say last year was his coming-out party as he became the 49ers' primary rusher with Matt Bredia and Tevin Coleman getting their fair share of touches as well.
Despite averaging 5.64 yards per carry, head coach Kyle Shanahan still neglected to hand over the reins to his former undrafted protégé. The staple of Shanahan's offense is no secret to anyone — he will run the ball down a team's throat and Mostert was the guy he leaned on to the greatest extent last season.
It's time for Shanahan to let Mostert loose and give him more opportunities — all signs show that he's ready. Looking back at the 49ers playoff run, his workload increased, carrying the ball on average 17 times a game. Along with more carries, Mostert's rushing yards and yards per carry both improved.
Another element that proves he can take on a larger role in 2020 was a study done by ESPN's Matt Bowen, which revealed that Mostert led all running backs in yards per rush against 8+ defenders in the box, averaging 6.21 yards.
In large part, Shanahan's scheme may offer a lot of support when opposing teams stack the box, but Mostert was the most efficient rusher even when defenses would sell out to stop him.
Regardless of Shanahan being extraordinarily cautious with Mostert, even he himself has indicated he's ready to take the next step of carrying the ball with more regularity.
"I'm just building myself up," Mostert told team reporters during a video conference on Wednesday. "I'm actually gaining some more muscle, which is kind of bizarre because I already had muscle. Just trying to incorporate those things in my daily workouts so I'm able to take those hits and be one of those guys who is getting 200 carries. I have to get prepared for that. And the only way I know how is to get bulky and stronger."
Becoming a "featured back" for San Francisco this season would be a new style of representation for Mostert as he was a journeyman before Shanahan eventually got his hands on him. Now that Mostert has a clean bill of health and plans to enter the 2020 season stronger than ever before, he's done everything on his behalf to be utilized like a feature back.
Mostert clearly has the ability based on what he showed last season. Then factor in a potentially larger frame from his offseason workouts, and the stars are aligning for the former track star — it's now just a matter of time when Shanahan and the 49ers staff will feature him as one of the league's leading rushers.
